


Sun shines for everyone

by dandelionnie



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M, OT9 (EXO), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, SNSD members - Freeform, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Trigger warnings inside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 15:23:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23013625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandelionnie/pseuds/dandelionnie
Summary: Where Junmyeon has survived alone for a very long time, but when he meets Sehun he doesn't want to be alone anymore.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 11
Kudos: 74
Collections: Âme sœur: SeHo Fic Fest Round 1





	Sun shines for everyone

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Graphic descriptions of an unhealthy body (underweight, malnutrition); violent scenes and sexual content.
> 
> Prompt #35: Where Junmyeon has survived alone all this time, but when he meets Sehun he doesn't want to be alone anymore.
> 
> Hi! I've so many ideas for this prompt that I couldn't fix them into a single chapter, so here's the first one and I am already working on the second one. I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The night fell sooner than JunMyeon expected so a swirl of anxiety and nervousness crept in his stomach as he carefully and silently moved around the mall. He had heard noises on the second floor of the building, so he decided to change his plans of sleeping in the old Mexican restaurant there and took the emergency stairs until he reached the fourth floor, heading to the little tailor shop that was there.

Trying not to make much noise, JunMyeon pushed himself between the broken door and the wall until he was inside the tailor shop. He curled under the counter and shivered when a cold breeze entered through the broken windows, the sweater and coat he was wearing weren’t enough covers with the cold weather that had turned Seoul into a giant freezer the last few weeks.

JunMyeon was drifting between sleep and reality when he heard steps near the shop and saw the glint of flashlight lightning the hallways. He curled up, even more, trying to make himself invisible and tried to regulate his breathing so he won’t grab their attention.

“I heard the noises coming from here,” a man said. “Maybe it was a zombie.”

“I doubt it,” someone replied. A woman. “If it was a zombie it would have already face us. They are always up for a shot in the head.”

“Must be a zombie,” the man insisted. “I don’t think there would be only one human here.”

“Maybe there are more but they’re hidden.”

More noises sounded and the door of the tailor shop creaked when someone pulled it. The light of the lantern made JunMyeon bit his lip anxiously. He was going to get caught by these strangers. He was going to die.

“Well, then search for the others.”

He heard the girl snort but obey, her steps getting away and away from the shop. JunMyeon stayed still, his eyes fixed in the light against the wall knowing that the man was still inside. After a few minutes, the light disappeared and he heard some steps and the door creaking again before it closed. JunMyeon closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. He was good for now.

Or at least that’s what he thought.

When he opened his eyes, JunMyeon went blank. In front of him, crunched, was the man that had entered the tailor. His eyebrows lifted in an incredulous look as he stared at JunMyeon. The man was wearing camo clothes, the handles of two knives peeping out from the pockets of his jackets and a machine gun hanging on his shoulder. The man lifted his flashlight and turn it on, flashing JunMyeon's face and making him groan.

“Hello there,” the man greeted.

JunMyeon didn't reply, curling up further in the corner of the counter and shivering. That was all. After four years of running along and surviving in the remains of Seoul, he was finally going to die. He didn't have strength left to fight.

“Can you talk?” the other asked.

He chose not to answer. The voice of the man sounded soft and warm like he wasn't going to hurt him, but JunMyeon had learned not to trust people in the apocalyptic world he was living in and this man wasn't going to be the exception.

“Eh, are you okay?”

JunMyeon shivered, scared and tense when the man lifted his arm in an attempt to touch him. The other seemed to notice his reaction and back away, looking at him with an unreadable expression. JunMyeon glance at him for a brief moment before closing his eyes tightly; he couldn’t help but notice that the man was young and strong, his strong factions and blank expression making him feel more uneasy.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt, okay? I am not a mercenary or something like that.” JunMyeon kept his eyes closed. “You don’t have to be so scared. I promise you, I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to help you. So, are you alone?”

“I don’t trust you,” JunMyeon finally uttered and his voice sounded unknown even for him. He couldn’t remember how long it has passed since the last time he talked with someone else.

"I know, I don't intend to make you trust me just because of a few words," the man replied. "But this place will soon be infected with those fucking zombies, so if you don't want to die. You and your people can come with us.”

“I am alone,” he uttered. The man seemed taken aback by his answer but slowly nodded.

“Okay, still you can come with my group, we have food, and water, and clothes,” he said. “We just came here to gather any left supplies that we could find. We have a car to get away from here as soon as we’re done.”

JunMyeon opened his eyes and looked at the other man. He still felt uncomfortable and unsettled, but he didn’t see bad intentions in the boy. Still doubting, JunMyeon accepted the hand the man was offering him and got up from where he was hiding. He walked behind the other, looking carefully around him, his hand reaching the dagger he had hidden in his coat. The girl from before appeared again and stared at him with a surprised expression before looking at the man.

“What..?”

“He’s coming with us,” the man said. “Did the others finish?”

“Yes, they are waiting for us in the car.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

JunMyeon walked behind them, curled up in himself as he followed the strangers to a black all-terrain vehicle parked in front of the mall. Inside of the car were two more men and a woman, who looked at him with the same amused expression as the girl but didn't say anything. JunMyeon was seated in the middle seat, between the woman and his helper.

“What’s your name?” the man asked.

“Kim JunMyeon.”

“Hi, JunMyeon, I am Oh SeHun,” he greeted but his expression remained blank.

“And I am Choi SooYoung," the woman said. "You don't have anything to worry about, you're safe now."

“Here, drink and eat something.” SeHun handed him a package of cookies and a box of peach juice.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

He mentally thanked that the man had already opened the package for him and prepared the juice with the straw. JunMyeon didn’t think that there was strength enough on him to do that. Slowly he ate the cookies and drank the juice, his stomach filling for the first time in four –or maybe it was five– days. It almost felt like a dream, and a part of him started believing that maybe he was actually dreaming.

“Have you been alone a long time, JunMyeon?” SeHun asked.

“Yes.”

His strained voice made SeHun decide to not ask more questions. The car was already moving as the driver rode them through the closed night to the place they have called _refuge_. JunMyeon was shivering, but he didn't know what cause it anymore. Maybe it was the fear. Maybe it was the relief to see friendly people after a long time. Or maybe it was that his body couldn't get used to the cold weather. He was too tired to think about it.

His eyes were dropping closed when SeHun shifted in his seat, moving to the catch something on the back. JunMyeon closed his eyes and unconsciously waited for the punch or the gun against his temple. He waited for death, but it never arrived. Instead, a warm and thick blanket was thrown over him and the two people at his sides tucked him until he was completely covered.

"Sleep a little, JunMyeon," SooYoung said. "The ride is long."

Against his own wishes, JunMyeon found himself falling asleep in a matter of seconds. Tiredness washing through his body as he rested against the leather seat, feeling warm and sated for the first time in a while.

* * *

He woke up because he heard someone scream, not realizing it was him the one yelling until his eyes met with SooYoung’s worried ones. He was shaking uncontrollably, his whole body trembling with sobs, tears flooding freely down his cheeks. The girl offered him a water bottle as she caressed his shoulder slowly.

“Sorry,” he said when he realized the others were watching him as well. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Don’t worry, we are used to nightmares,” SooYoung replied. “Drink some water and try to go to sleep, there’s still a long way to go.”

JunMyeon nodded, even if he knew that he won't be able to fall asleep again. He never did after the nightmares. He opened the bottle and drank until he nearly finished it, it had been days since the last time he had drunk clear water. He regretted drinking that much when he saw the way the other's eyes were fixed in him.

He felt extremely guilty for drinking half of the bottle. Probably that was all the water they had for the rest of the trip and there he was, drinking half of the bottle by himself when they had kindly let him go with them. _How could he be so fucking ungrateful?_

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have to drink so much. I-I have food, not much but it's something," he quickly added. He almost cough, his throat still felt dry and sore. “And two aspirins! I can give them to you, for the water, I’m really sor…!”

JunMyeon knew he was pushing himself past his own limits, not used to use his voice or to deal with people. It had been so many times since the last time he had been with a group that he didn't even remember how he was supposed to act around them. In the last few weeks, months or years, he couldn't even remember how long has passed, all he had had was himself. He had been utterly and completely alone.

“Stop,” SeHun was the one who talked, “it’s okay, each one of us has water, that was your bottle and you can have more if you need it, don't worry."

JunMyeon nodded once again, but the apologetic expression didn’t leave his face. He felt so guilty, like an intruder taking everything he could without giving something in return. He should have hide better, he should have rejected their offer.

“Sleep now,” SooYoung said. “You’re safe.”

He tried to smile but he failed, his lips twitching into a strange grimace. SooYoung stopped looking at him, her eyes focused on the road ahead of us as the others did the same, except for the other girl, who closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep for a while. He closed his too and tried to focus on a happy memory, an old song or just something that could lull him back to sleep. But all he could feel was that bitter feeling that had settled on his chest after SooYoung's last words.

 _Safe_? He had never been safe. He didn’t remember what it felt like to be safe.

He probably would never feel it again. JunMyeon lost himself in his thoughts for the rest of the trip, old memories resurfacing even if he couldn’t remember them well, the voices of his family and friends already forgotten. He didn't know how much time it passed until the ground under the car wheels changed and the raw sound of the dirt roads changed to something softer like grass.

"We are almost there," he heard someone said. "Get things ready."

JunMyeon could feel like everything around him burst into movement, the sound of the bags and plastics filling the air before a hard and loud metallic sound dulled them. He opened his eyes then, amazed by what his eyes watched as the car moved between the big metallic doors that he had heard.

It was like a city, a new but old-looking city surrounded by big stone walls. It had passed way too long since the last time he had seen a city that didn't seem like it was going to fall apart at any second. A city that had people walking peacefully around the streets, kids playing in a small park, some other cars parked in a distant zone…

“Is this real?” he uttered in a low tone but loud enough for SooYoung to hear him.

“It is,” she said. “Welcome to New Seoul.”

“New Seoul?” he asked.

The other girl, the one he still didn’t know the name of, was the one who replied to him with a kind smile creeping to her lips.

“New Seoul III, actually,” she said. “One of the only reconstructed and safe places in what Seoul was years ago. They started building a small camp here and with the arrival of more and more people it was possible to turn it into a city, or at least something similar to one.”

"It's great," he said. "It looks almost normal like cities were before the virus.”

“Years of working hard trying to turn everything normal again, I guess,” she said. “People needed a fresh start and this was a great place to do it.”

The car stopped in front of what seemed like the principal building of New Seoul, everyone gathering their things before stepping out of the van. JunMyeon didn’t know what to do at first, but he decided to do the same once and waited awkwardly behind SooYoung. The other girl and the driver disappear without biding goodbye; SeHun looked at him for a moment before nodding in SooYoung's direction. The girl understood him without needing more words and walked away as well, but she did wave goodbye to JunMyeon before marching to one of the big buildings around them.

“I’ll present you to our leader, she will decide where you’ll stay,” he announced. “And don’t mind the others, it’s been a tough week and we weren’t able to gather as much as we wanted from the mall.”

“It’s okay,” JunMyeon said in a light voice.

“Do you want to go to the hospital first?” he asked.

“You have a hospital?” SeHun chuckled at the clear amusement of the other man.

“Kind of, not as big as a real hospital we good enough to be called like that,” he answered. “Do you need to go?”

“I don’t know,” he said after a few seconds, shifting uncomfortably under SeHun’s deep stare.

SeHun frowned, JunMyeon's answer was strange; how could someone not know if he needed to see a doctor or not? He decided not to think but about it and that they were going to go anyway. He made a gesture to the man, so he would follow him as they made their way to the block converted into a hospital.

“What was this before?” JunMyeon asked.

“Seoul’s prison,” he said. “The one they were constructing before the infection hit the world and everything went to shit. Six blocks finished and two in the middle of construction,” he explained.

‘People founded a new city in prison?’ JunMyeon wanted to question. It didn’t sound like the best place to rebuild a city. But he understood that in desperate times people were expected to act in the same way. Desperate times required desperate actions.

“It was one of the biggest places in Seoul, and far enough from the old capital,” SeHun explained like he had read his trail of thoughts.

SeHun turned left, waving at some people that stared at JunMyeon as he quickly tried to catch with the man’s speed. He saw the big placard with the letter C painted in dark blue in the front of the building they were walking to; JunMyeon assumed that it had to be one of the finished blocks SeHun had talked about.

"The place was infected by zombies when the first group arrived here, it was a long war against them, but in a matter of a month we were able to clean this place and we started to rehabilitate it.”

JunMyeon wanted to ask many questions related to the place, the first group that he had mentioned and the 'we' he had used while he told the story of New Seoul, but he didn't find the courage to do it. It was still present in his mind the thought that it had passed way too long since the last time he had been surrounded by people; even longer since he had last spoken out loud.

“This way,” SeHun said, passing through the open doors of Block C and heading north, to the staircase. “The prison’s medical clinic was on the last meters of the third floor, so it was easy to expand it and use the medical supplies that were already here.”

JunMyeon made a humming sound, not wanting to look rude in front of the man. SeHun had talked most of the time, explaining everything to him but JunMyeon couldn't find himself replying to the man with actual words. It was just so hard for him to try to make a conversation; like there was some kind of block in his mind that kept him from doing so.

“Well, here we are,” SeHun announced.

The walls were painted in a soft shade of beige, almost white. There were some hospital gurneys empty along the hallway, some cabinets as well with medical supplies and two big shelves with towels, blankets, bedclothes, and wipes. The place really looked like a hospital, it even had the heavy smell of disinfectant that he remembered of his visits years ago to the clinic near his house when he was sick.

They met a few people on their way to the big white doors at the end of the hallway; most of them were dressed in soft green medical clothes, two of them wore lab coats with tongue depressors, pens, and lollipops secured in their front pockets. For JunMyeon's relief, the medical staff ignored them, too focused on their work.

“YiXing hyung,” SeHun called someone as they turn right and entered one of the rooms. “Hyung!”

A black-haired man turned around with a happy smile on his face. His curly hair made his features look softer and the dimples that appeared on his cheeks when he smiled almost made JunMyeon smile as well. He seemed so welcoming and calm that JunMyeon didn't felt as pressured and uncomfortable as he had felt back in the van with the others.

“Hyung, this is JunMyeon,” SeHun said. “We found him today in the mall.”

“Hello, JunMyeon,” he greeted keeping that warm smile as he turned and looked at him. “My name is Zhang YiXing and I am the one in charge of our small hospital.”

“Hello,” he murmured. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Yixing's smile got bigger and then looked at SeHun expecting his explanation.

“He needs a check-up,” he said. “He said he had been alone for quite a long time…”

The Chinese man nodded and looked at JunMyeon again.

“Perfect,” he said. “Come with me, please, let’s see how you are.”

JunMyeon followed YiXing under the heavy gaze of SeHun. The doctor pointed one of the hospital gurneys near them and waited for JunMyeon to sit down before getting close to him. The man made a strange grimace as he analyzed JunMyeon's clothes; they were torn off and dirtied with dry blood, dirt and other things JunMyeon didn't want to think off. It had been a long time since he could change himself or find a good place to wash his clothes. The weather was cold and humid like they were in autumn, so getting naked just to clean his clothes was not a priority on JunMyeon's list of things to do every day.

“How long have you been alone, JunMyeon?” YiXing questioned.

“I don’t know,” he replied. He kept his tone low. His voice still sounded strange to his own ears. “I lost the track of time.”

“It’s okay if you can’t tell me the exact time, just an approximation is more than enough,” he replied.

“Two or three winters ago?” he uttered. “I am not sure.”

SeHun and YiXing shared a concerned look before the doctor continued with his work. He asked a few more questions that made JunMyeon tired just by answering them, it was like talking drained the small forces he had to go through the day.

"Are you okay with undressing?" he asked. "I have to see if you have any scar, bruise or cut we should be taken care of."

“Okay,” he agreed. JunMyeon closed his eyes and tried to take off his shirt after YiXing got rid of his jacket, but he wasn’t able to lift his arms higher than his shoulders height.

“I-I can’t…” he whispered, he was starting to feel cramps on his arms as he tried to keep them as high as he could.

"It's okay," YiXing said and helped him get rid of his shirt as well.

A shiver ran through JunMyeon’s exposed body as a cold breeze entered through one of the open windows. SeHun seemed to notice it and closed the window before turning off the small heater located near them. It was a nice change and he slowly stopped trembling when the room turned warmer.

“You have some bad-looking bruises in your ribs and some scars didn’t heal correctly,” he murmured as he pressed the skin with his gloved hands. JunMyeon whimpered when YiXing pressed in the bluish bruise in his ribs. "Sorry, sorry. I know it hurts." His eyes were fixed in the clear unhealthy body in front of him as he spoke. JunMyeon was underweight, he lacked fat and muscle in his body. "We should run some tests to see if you have broken ribs or it just the natural reaction to a bad hit."

It seemed like the words were more directed to SeHun than to JunMyeon, but the man still nodded and closed his eyes when YiXing’s hands moved down to his hips, touching some old scars he had tried to heal the best he could. The man sent a questioning look when he reached his pants, silently asking for his permission. A faint blush crept to his cheeks, embarrassed at the thought of getting naked in front of two stranger but he nodded nonetheless.

YiXing was gentle and slow to help him get rid of his shoes and pants, a clinical look on the doctor’s face as he examined every inch of his body. JunMyeon couldn’t remember the last time he had been so exposed, not to other person but himself. With time he had become aware of how strange and ugly his body looked with all the scars, bruises and the clear signs of malnutrition.

“Have you fall lately?” YiXing asked, watching some bruises and unhealed cuts on his legs.

“A few days ago, I think,” he murmured. “The floor the ground opened beneath me and I fell to the bottom floor.”

YiXing hummed as he kept examining him. The doctor crouched slightly to have a better look at his old scars and the bruises he had making his skin look uglier. The man got back at his normal height and looked at SeHun for a moment before sending a warm smile to JunMyeon.

“SeHun why don’t you take JunMyeon to one of the empty rooms in the principal hallway? I’ll be there in a few minutes with clean clothes and supplies so JunMyeon can take a bath.”

SeHun nodded and moved to take one of the hospital gowns that were piled in one of the shelves. He helped JunMyeon to wear it, tightening the knots in the back of the gown so no one could see how he was under the light cloth. He guided the man to one of the rooms like YiXing had commanded him while the doctor disappeared through another door.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he helped JunMyeon sit down on the bed.

“Yes,” he uttered. “Just a bit tired.”

"It's normal, you look like you've been through hell," he said. "Were you really alone all this time?" he asked.

JunMyeon nodded, incapable of saying it out loud. It didn't matter how much time he had been alone, it was still hard to accept the fact that he had to survive the decadency of Seoul on his own. Facing the zombies and all the danger all alone. Just him against the darkness that had turned the world into a battlefield.

“How did you do it?” SeHun questioned. “The only person I know that had was alone during a certain amount of time was JongIn and he just had to survive two months before finding us.”

"I knew how to hide and I've been lucky finding food and water, I guess," he said in a slow and raspy tone. "I am not a good fighter if that's what you're thinking."

“I just, I am just trying to understand how it was possible,” SeHun admitted. “Surviving alone for years? That’s impressive.”

“Years?” JunMyeon questioned. Even if a small part of him knew he had been alone for a long time it was still hard and shocking to hear it out loud.

"The seasons changed a little bit after the infection stroked the world; cities were destroyed and the massive consumption of natural resources fell. Mother Nature made her way into the places and slowly recovered her green kingdom,” SeHun explained. “Seasons changed and the world did too, too many people were affected by the infection and the demographics of each site dropped dramatically. Each station is longer now, and it’s unpredictable how long they’ll last.”

“Three winters since the last time I was with a group,” JunMyeon repeated. “How much time is that?”

SeHun blinked and looked everywhere but him. JunMyeon feared the answer that the man was about to give him.

“Four years and a half,” he said. “The last winter was a year ago.”

JunMyeon was completely blank; he didn't know how to feel about the information he had just received. He had noticed the world had changed, the seasons being longer or shorter than they used to the bed. It was not difficult to notice it even if he didn't have a calendar to keep the time check, but he never expected to hear that he had been alone for so long.

“Oh,” he finally muttered. “I… Four years…”

“It’s really impressive you’ve survived for so long, JunMyeon,” SeHun said. “You’re truly a lucky guy to have made it by yourself all this time.”

The man didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the floor even if he was not really looking at any specific point. It was too much information to think about in a matter of days. Too many things that he had to accept. But he still had so many questions to do, so many things he needed to know to grab reality again and to be able to know where and when he was standing at the moment.

"How many years had passed since the infection strike Korea?" he questioned. He could feel SeHun uncomfortably shifting by his side.

“Almost seven years, it’s been a long war and the infection only seemed to get worse with time,” he explained. “This city and the others that had been built in the ruins of Old Seoul are pretty new.”

“Seven years…” JunMyeon repeated, feeling the sudden urge to cry. “I was twenty when the first infected was detected. And now I’m pushing my thirties without even knowing.”

"You're my Hyung, then," SeHun stated with a static tone that caught JunMyeon's attention. "I'm twenty-five. I was eighteen when everything went to shit."

JunMyeon was thinking about what to reply when YiXing entered the room carrying a grey tracksuit, white socks and padded slippers secured in his arms. He smiled at the two men before leaving the things by JunMyeon's side on the bed.

“Ready for your bath? I am sure you’ll need help to bath yourself, so if you’re not against it I can help you,” he explained.

JunMyeon blinked slowly and nodded, hoping that that was enough for the doctor to understand his position. SeHun stayed behind, in the room, as he and YiXing walked to the bathroom and the doctor started to prepare everything. He closed his eyes when he got rid of his underwear and didn't open them until YiXing told him to step into the bath. Entering the tub full of warm water made JunMyeon shiver, a small moan of satisfaction escaping through his dry lips as he settled on the bathtub; he couldn't even remember the last time he had taken a hot bath.

“Let’s clean you out,” the doctor said, kneeling next to the tube and starting to apply the shampoo on his hair.

He closed his eyes and let himself relax a bit against the white porcelain, his body slowly relaxing as well under the water. The water slowly turned darker with all the dirt and dust that was coming out of his skin and hair. JunMyeon felt ashamed seeing how the doctor needed to unplug the bathtub not even five minutes later, as the new clean water started running from the water taps.

“I think I need the help of a couple of hands more,” YiXing said when he saw that JunMyeon didn’t have strength enough to pass the bath sponge by his skin. “Are you okay with that? Or do you just…?

“It’s okay,” he interrupted him. “It’s okay… more help…”

YiXing nodded and sent a quick look to the locked door of the bathroom, before looking at JunMyeon again. He mouthed ‘SeHun?’ in a low tone and JunMyeon nodded. He didn’t want more unknown people around him, so if he could get the help of people he already recognized he was satisfied.

“SeHun!” YiXing shouted. “Come in, I need your help!”

The man appeared seconds later, his head picking through the door before entering and closing behind him. He stared at YiXing for a few moments before getting closer to them, waiting for the doctor to give him orders.

“Give his hair another wash with the shampoo while I clean his body,” YiXing said.

“Okay.”

SeHun didn’t hesitate in kneeling behind JunMyeon, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt before pushing a big amount of shampoo into his hand. He stroked JunMyeon’s hair with slow and tender moves, his fingers scraping lightly his scalp to clean as well as possible. JunMyeon felt shivers running down his spine, a reaction to how incredible SeHun’s fingers felt against his scalp and the soft touches of the sponge against his skin. YiXing was being extremely careful as he cleaned every part of him with the pink sponge and the olive body soap.

He wasn’t sure how long the bath finally took, all he knew was that he felt clean, relaxed and content. He didn’t know how often he would be able to bath with warm water so he would keep the memory of this one with happiness. SeHun and YiXing helped him out of the tub, quickly circling his body with two big white towels of cotton to keep him from getting cold. They carefully dried his skin and helped him put on the clean underwear and tracksuit YiXing had brought.

“We’ll do the test tomorrow morning,” YiXing said as he settled the last sock on JunMyeon’s feet. “It’s already late and it’s better if you eat something and rest. Probably our leader will come around in a few minutes to meet you, so tried not to fell asleep before that.”

With another warm smile creeping to his face, YiXing bid his goodbye to go order his dinner. There was a clock hanging in the wall in front of the bed, and the clock was right, it was already half-past nine at night. SeHun stayed with him, helping him get under the blankets on the bed and dried his hair when it was less damp.

“You must be JunMyeon," a feminine voice said, loud enough to be heard over the sound of the hairdryer. The man looked up and locked his eyes with the deep brown eyes staring at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm TaeYeon."

"Hi," he said when SeHun turned the hairdryer off.

“YiXing told me he’ll be running some tests to you tomorrow, and SooYoung also informed me about your impressive situation,” she said with a sweet, calming voice. “Surviving alone in this chaotic world is a miracle. You’re a lucky guy.”

He nodded, once again not knowing what to say. SeHun and TaeYeon shared a quick look, their gazes falling on the man when they heard him yawn. JunMyeon blushed faintly, he felt sleepy and it was really hard for him to keep his eyes open for more than five minutes. He needed to sleep, and the bed and blankets were so comfy and warm that it was really difficult to fight sleep off.

“I’ll let you sleep,” TaeYeon murmured. “I just wanted to meet the new guy and present myself. Tomorrow we would have a better conversation. SeHun, we need to talk.”

“Okay,” he said.

The taller man got up of where he was still seated behind JunMyeon and helped the man to move into a comfier position before turning the lights off and stepping out of the room. He heard the soft ‘Good night’ that he murmured before shutting his eyes and falling sleep in a matter of seconds. It was obvious how exhausted the older man had been.

SeHun closed the door behind him and started walking beside TaeYeon, waiting for her to speak up as they went downstairs and left the hospital floor. The woman remained silent for more time than the man had thought, but when they exited the building she finally spoke up.

"It was a risky move to bring a stranger to New Seoul, SeHun," TaeYeon uttered. "I talk to SooYoung and the others and they assured me that the boy seemed harmless, but that doesn't mean he is like that. He could be a freak. A psycho."

“He is harmless,” SeHun retorted. “You saw him, he’s like a little tired puppy.”

“Because he _is_ tired. But who knows how he will react tomorrow,” she disproved. “YiXing told me how long he was, apparently, alone. He could be asocial, he could disturb the peace in this city."

“He won’t, I trust him.” TaeYeon shook her head and looked at SeHun deadly in the eye.

“How can you trust someone who you don’t even know? You found him hours ago,” she replied. “Are you going to answer for his actions? Are you going to take responsibility for him and what he would do?”

SeHun stayed quiet for a few minutes, debating with himself if he should take that responsibility or just let others do it. He had found the man, that was right, and he had been the one who tended his hand to JunMyeon and convinced him to go with them. It would be normal for him to be the one taking responsibility for the man’s actions.

“I will,” he finally said. “I will answer for him.”

“Good.” She looked at him with deep, judging eyes before sighing tiredly. “Go get some rest, SeHun. Tomorrow would be a tough day.”

“Good night, noona.”

“Good night, SeHun,” she murmured. “And, oh, BaekHyun was looking for you.”

The man rolled his eyes and walked to the block of rooms he lived in.

* * *

BaekHyun was not alone when SeHun arrived at his room; JongIn and ChanYeol were with him, already changed into their pajamas and with sleepy eyes that denoted how tired they were but how curiosity made them stay awake before their bedtime.

“So you bring a boy to our city and spend the day with him without telling us?” BaekHyun said once the man closed the door behind him. “I feel betrayed.”

“How did you expect that I’ll go to tell you about what happened if I was on a mission and then I got back here and I had to deal with the newcomer?” he questioned. “Do I look like someone who can duplicate himself?”

"The disrespect, the audacity," BaekHyun uttered in a dramatic tone. "How can you be so rude to me?"

“I’m not in the mood for your jokes, hyung,” SeHun sighed and started changing his clothes as the others started arguing for some stupid reason.

"Why did you decided to bring the boy with you?" JongIn asked. "You're the first one to be cautious around strangers every time we go out on missions, why the exception with this boy?"

"He was alone, completely alone, scared and looked harmless," he said. "I wasn't going to leave him there when he seemed about to fall apart."

"He could be a bite for a trap, you know that there are still some bandit groups around here waiting to steal other people's supplies," ChanYeol stated. "It could have ended badly."

“But it didn’t, he was alone and he was not part of a trap,” SeHun coldly replied. “Why we should think about the ‘what ifs’ having the reality in front of us?”

“That’s the deepest thing you’ve ever said,” BaekHyun replied and JongIn and ChanYeol snorted.

SeHun rolled his eyes and entered the bathroom to take a fast shower before changing into his pajamas. He heard the others joking and rumbling about something as he took off his clothes and entered the shower, a shiver running down his back when the cold water hit him at first before turning warmer. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the tiles. He didn't understand either why he had decided to help the man; it was true what JongIn had said, from the group he had always been the cautious, the one who distrusted everyone and didn't want to bring people to New Seoul.

But there he was, helping a man who seemed so helpless and harmless that he hadn’t had a second thought when he offered his help. There had been a voice inside of him that screamed that he had to take the man with him, and he did just that. He cleaned himself before stepping out of the shower and dried himself. He changed into his pajamas and re-entered his room, rolling his eyes once again as he saw ChanYeol and BaekHyun cuddling while JongIn looked at them with a fake-disgusted look.

“So, what’s his name again?” BaekHyun asked when he saw him.

“JunMyeon, his older than us,” he answered. “If you promise me to be good I’ll let you go with me tomorrow to visit him.”

"What do you mean by 'be good'? I'm always good!" The looks that SeHun, ChanYeol, and JongIn sent his way almost made BaekHyun put. "The disrespect," he repeated. "I am the older and yet the one suffering all this pain."

“You’re the biggest drama queen around here,” JongIn said and then looked at SeHun. “Is it real that he was able to survive alone for years?”

“Yes, or at least that’s what he said,” the man answered, getting inside his bed and huffing when the three men moved to invade his space, cuddling around him. “Four years and a half. He said he was left alone three winters ago. I don’t think he’s aware of how much time that means.”

“It was hard to survive a couple of months on my own, I can’t even start to imagine how hard it was for him to be by himself so much time,” JongIn sighed. “Is he sick?”

"He looks sick," SeHun affirmed. "YiXing will run some test on him tomorrow, apparently he had a nasty fall a few days ago and he may have a few broken ribs."

ChanYeol made a face, always horrified by the single mention of a broken bone or just anything related to be hurt. That's why he was part of the indoor group, working in the little farm or helping where he can except for the medical zone and the outside missions.

BaekHyun was the opposite, a skilled fighter thanks to his black-belt on hapkido when he was younger and, partially, on his fearless way of being. The only reason he hadn't participate in the missions that day was that he was still recovering from his last mission, where he had broken his wrist after running away from a small group of zombies.

JongIn was a strange case; he helped everywhere, outside or inside. But his past experience of living all alone during months before meeting them had made him wary and impulsive. JongIn never said it out loud, but they had heard from Do KyungSoo (JongIn’s roommate and the official cook of the base) that the man still struggled with nightmares some nights, remembering and suffering for the things he had seen and lived when he had been alone out there.

“And his mind?” JongIn asked. “Did he look… sane?”

“He did,” SeHun answered. “He didn’t talk much but he seemed aware of everything, understood what we told him and answered all that we questioned him.”

“Smells like a lie to me that shit of him being alone so much time,” BaekHyun said. “No one can survive four years on his own without going nuts.”

“Maybe he’s the exception,” SeHun said. “Maybe he found a way to preserve his mind and to survive without going crazy.”

“Sounds impossible,” ChanYeol stated.

JongIn was the one who replied then, a strange look on his face. SeHun knew that if someone could understand how JunMyeon's situation it was him. The man looked at SeHun before speaking up, his voice low and soft but with a hard tone that made ChanYeol and BaekHyun shut up.

“It was impossible to think that the world could go to shit with an infection but here we are," he murmured. "If he was able to survive all these years on his own, then probably he's stronger than all of the people around here and we should admire him.”

“Let’s not jump into conclusions,” SeHun said. “And now get the fuck out of here, I’m tired.”

The last thing he heard before falling sleep was the steps of his friends while living, the click of the switch when they turned off the lights and the soft sound of the door closing behind them.

* * *

JunMyeon didn't sleep much that night; even if he had fallen asleep rather quickly, the slightest of sound woke him up and each time it became harder to fall back to sleep until he just decided to stay awake and wait. YiXing entered a few minutes after the clock needles marked nine in the morning. He was smiling as he left a stray with food in the small table next to JunMyeon’s bed.

“Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” he answered.

“We’ll run some tests before you have breakfast, okay?” YiXing announced. “I talked yesterday with some people and I was able to gather some clothes for you.”

The man’s attention fell on the white bag the doctor was carrying. He still wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act or what he should say in each situation, so he just put a fake smile that still ended like a strange gesture. YiXing smile, however, didn’t disappear and after a few more explanations about the medical test he will take, he helped JunMyeon change into the new clothes –just a white shirt that was loose on him, a pair of black sweatpants and old grey short top sneakers.

“Come on, it will be quick.”

The tests were not as bad as JunMyeon had expected, but he ended exhausted nonetheless. He felt dizzy when he entered the room, sitting on the bed and thanking YiXing when he put the table with food closer to them. He ate slowly, his hands trembling a bit and the soreness of his muscles making hard to lift his arms to take a bite of the breakfast.

"You can sleep more if you want, we'll run a few more tests after lunchtime," he said. "SooYoung and TaeYeon will come later to talk to you.”

He nodded, curling under the sheets when he finished the last bite of his breakfast. His body relaxed against the mattress, tiredness beating the best of him as he let himself fall asleep once again. He was woken up by the sound of the door opening and the low whispers of the people how had entered his room.

"JunMyeon?" SooYoung's voice made the man completely stir up from his sleep, opening his eyes and sitting in the bed.

“Hi,” he said. The woman was not alone: TaeYeon and the three people from the group that he didn’t get to know the day before.

“Sorry for the lack of presentations yesterday,” the driver said. “My name is Kim MinSeok.”

JunMyeon stared at the man and tried to smile, nodding softly in acknowledgment. The other man took a step forward and tended his hand at JunMyeon while he presented himself as Kim JongDae. Once again he just politely nodded and lifted his hand to take the man's one, but JongDae seemed to notice his nervousness and the trembling of his limbs so he decided not to force that contact.

“Well, JunMyeon, you and I already meet yesterday,” TaeYeon spoke up. “But I’ll present myself again: I’m Kim TaeYeon, leader of New Seoul III. Welcome.”

“Thanks.”

“Here we don’t deny the help to anyone who needs it, but it would be great to know you better before deciding what to do with you,” she said. “Why don’t you tell us a little bit more about yourself?”

"I'm Kim JunMyeon, I think I'm twenty-seven years old," he mumbled, "I was with my family when the infection reached Seoul, but they got infected during the first months after the breakdown."

“And have you been alone since then?” MinSeok asked.

“Not exactly, I was with a few groups but most of them died or we get separated,” he replied. “The people I was with turned to be bandits that wanted to use me as a bait so I run away.”

"How did you manage to survive on your own all this time?" TaeYeon questioned. "I don't intend to be rude, but it's really hard to believe that you were able to live alone so much time without dying or getting killed."

"I don't know, I just…" JunMyeon gulped. "I always tried to be with groups, but after the bandits one, I decided to go on my own. I am not scared of dying," he explained with a tone that lacked emotion. "I tried to run from the possible encounters with zombies, I rationed my food and water extremely well and gathered other’s people belongings when they died.”

“And sleep? Medicine? Cures? How did you manage to cure yourself if you got hurt?”

“I just found my ways to do it, imagination, I suppose.”

YiXing entered at that moment with the same soft and warm smile he always showed and looked at all the people gathered around JunMyeon’s bed with curious eyes.

"I didn't know you have visited," he joked. "The machines are ready for the other tests, so I will have to steal JunMyeon from you for a little bit."

TaeYeon nodded, giving her consent before helping JunMyeon into his feet. He exited the room holding YiXing's arm, they walked through the hall until they reached the X-Ray Room. JunMyeon wasn't sure how much time passed until they did all the tests, all he knew is that he was exhausted once again and the only thing he wanted was to fall sleep. However, when he entered the room, the others were still there.

“Everything is fine,” YiXing announced and then looked at him. “If you’re feeling bad or if you think you need medicine to sleep just tell me.”

JunMyeon nodded and sat down on the mattress, waiting for the leader to speak up again.

"I was planning to ask a few more questions but you seem tired," she said. "I just want you to know that you're safe now. I'll assign you a shared room for when you can walk out of the hospital, okay? SooYoung will explain to you a bit of what you would do."

TaeYeon left the room after that, closing the door behind her as the others gathered around him once again. JunMyeon just wanted to sleep and forget about all the confusing and triggering emotions and thoughts he had since the rescue.

"We have decided to take responsibility for you," SooYoung announced. "Our group is in charge of collecting and labeling resources for the city, we don't fight if it's not necessary and our trips to the outside are less than you may think."

“You don’t need to…”

"We aren't accepting a 'no, thanks' or a pity discourse for an answer, boy," MinSeok retorted. "You're part of the team now and you'll probably end up living with one of us, so just accept it and prepare yourself for the work you'll be doing once YiXing gives you permission."

JunMyeon stayed in silence, not knowing how to react to the information. The others seemed to take that as an acceptance speech and walked out of the room, smiling when they heard the soft but still loud enough 'Thank you' that JunMyeon voiced out before the door closed. JunMyeon laid in the mattress and covered himself with the blankets, trying to fall asleep so he won't have time to think about everything that was happening.

It was too good to be true. Too fantastic to let himself believe that he had a chance to rebuild his life after years fighting alone. It was like a dream, and he hadn't allowed himself to dream for a very long time.

* * *

YiXing discharged him almost a month later. Even if the tests had come out with better results than the expected, he still had three broken ribs and several cases of malnutrition that force him to be hospitalized for weeks, gathering strength to face his new life in the New Seoul. He was also going to therapy; at first, they didn't give much importance to his mental health, but after the first week in the hospital, JunMyeon took the first step and asked to see a phycologist. 

Apparently, all the bad experiences from his years alone had finally settled down on his mind, and the moment JunMyeon allowed himself to relax a bit nightmares strike him and made sleep an impossible task for him. His teammates had visited him almost every day, making JunMyeon feel more comfortable around them with time until he had warmed himself completely with the group.

SeHun had not been the exception to that. Even if the man didn't appear that day TaeYeon welcomed him to New Seoul, he had walked through the door the day after that and had a light talk with him to get to know each other. JunMyeon felt really thankful to the man because of the chance he had given him, especially when MinSeok confessed to him that SeHun was not the type of person to rescue someone who seemed like a bandit's bait.

The younger man was unpredictable, his cold expression was always present, making hard for JunMyeon to analyze how the man felt while talking to him. But sometimes a smile bloomed across his face, and with time, when they grew closer to each other, JunMyeon realized that SeHun was actually very expressive with his eyebrows. SeHun was a good talker, and JunMyeon a good listener –especially because he still couldn't find himself speaking fluently with anyone. Too shy and scared to fuck up.

“Happy to be discharged from here?” YiXing asked.

“A little bit,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, you’ve treated me well but I would like to see more than just this hospital room.”

"I know, I know, it can get boring," the doctor said with his habitual warm smile. "Do you already know who you'll be living with?"

“SeHun,” he said, and he felt his heart racing a bit at the thought.

“Oh, then you’ll be in good company,” he assured him.

JunMyeon smiled softly and walked out of the room behind YiXing; they walked to the staircase zone and went down until they were on the first floor. SooYoung and JongDae were waiting for him in the entrance, smiling when they saw the man next to YiXing.

“Well, hello there,” JongDae said and took the bag with clothes that JunMyeon carried. “Ready to go?”

The older man nodded and smiled at YiXing, biding goodbye, before walking with his teammates. SeHun's room was not far away from the hospital, but it took them a good couple of minutes to reach the block because of all the people that walked around the city. The difference between what JunMyeon had seen the night he arrived and that day was shocking. He never imagined that so many people lived and worked in New Seoul. Even if the others had already told him that the number of people living there was almost three thousand since the last check.

“SeHun’s out helping one of his friends’ group,” SooYoung said. “But he gave us a copy of his key for you and told us that he had already settled the room for you.”

JunMyeon nodded and waited patiently for JongDae to open up the room. SeHun didn't lie when he said he had settled the room for him. The room was clean, the two beds that now rested against the back wall were tidied up, SeHun's part obviously more decorated than his. The bathroom was clean as well, a clear separation to make space done on the shelves and all the furniture in the small but cozy room.

“It’s good,” he said. “Really good.”

“Well, we’ll let you get comfortable,” JongDae said as he left the bag on his bed. “Dinners at eight in Block A, if SeHun’s not here by that hour we’ll come to here to guide you there.”

“Thank you,” he uttered. “Really. For everything.”

“There’s no need to thank us, okay?” SooYoung said. “Now sleep a little, YiXing told us that you’re still taking some meds that make you dizzy.”

“Goodbye,” JongDae singsonged as he left the room, leaving the copy of the key in the table next to the door.

"Bye, bye," SooYoung said as well, closing the door behind her.

JunMyeon spent fifteen minutes ordering the space that SeHun had left for him in the closet and looking around the room to know every little inch of it. It was still weird for him to get used to the idea of being a citizen again. Having a safe place to stay, food and water every day, medicines if needed… They were things he had forbidden himself to hope for when he started being on his own. Distrust made him run away from the people he had encountered on his trips searching for supplies to keep him alive.

And when he thought of those years spent alone, he couldn’t help but question what reason did he have to not give up? What made him keep going even if he had reached the lowest point he could? What made him stop himself from letting zombies kill him if he didn't let himself have hope?

He laid on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to take his mind out of that thoughts. Just a few minutes thinking in that thing made a headache start, and he didn't want to take any more pills to fight against pain. He curled himself in the bed and moved until he was under the covers. It was true that the pill YiXing gave him made him feel a little dizzy, so he closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep for a while. When he woke up, SeHun was sitting on the bed next to his, looking at him with curious eyes. JunMyeon sat down on the mattress and tried not to yawn when sleepiness started wearing off.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hello,” SeHun replied with a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Great,” he answered. “Is already dinner time?”

“Yes, the others are waiting for us in Block A,” SeHun said. “I was going to wake you up, but you seemed so peaceful…”

A faint blush crept to JunMyeon’s cheeks when he heard those words. He gets off the bed and put on his sneakers again; he looked at his reflection on the mirror to try to comb with his fingers that horrible mess he dared to call hair but it was in vain. SeHun watched carefully everything he did, a smile blooming on his lips when he saw the man pout at his messy reflection.

“Let’s go?” he asked and lifted himself up, walking to the door.

“Yes,” JunMyeon answered.

He walked out of the room and waited for SeHun. The man smiled at him before starting to make his way to the dining zone, unaware of how the faint blush on JunMyeon’s cheeks had darkened when he saw the younger smiled at him.

A small part of him was sure that he was right where he needed to be.

**_To be continued…_ **

**Author's Note:**

> The second chapter is on the works! I hope you liked this one.   
> XOXO.


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